Elevating the tops of pianofortes



CONRAD MEYER, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELE'VTING 'EI-IE TOPS OF PIANOFORTES.

Specication of Letters Patent No. 6,282, dated April 10, 1849.

Zh MZ 'whom i may concern Be it known that I, CONRAD MEYER, of the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful improvement in the piano by which the main portion of the top of the instrument can be raised at its front or rear edge to let out the sound, (and when so constructed is denominated by me the reversed-top piano 5) and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description thereoi, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this speciiication.

Figure l, is a perspective View of a piano, having my improvement, and Fig. 2, is a vertical transverse section in t-he line m-m, of Fig. l. y y

Similar letters indicate like parts in all the iigures.

I secure the top, to the body of the piano by means of two knuckle jointed hinges ot the form represented in Fig. l. The portion of each hinge that is made fast to the under side ot' each extremity of the front edge of the main portion A, of the top of the instrument, is or' suliicient length to give the hinges a strong and secure hold upon the same; the other portion of each of the above named hinges, is composed of a metallic bar B, whose length is nearly or'quite equal to the depth of the body ont the piano, and which has a slot formed in it, extending nearly its entire length. The long portions (B,) of the hinges pass through metallic guiding supports C, C, secured to the inner sides ot' the Vends of the piano case, and then into grooves formed in the outer sides of the end blocks D, D,-previous to their being placed in the instrument. Set screws c, @,-of the form represented in Fig. 3,-are inserted into apertures in the guiding supports 'Grthe blank portions of the shanks of the screws fitting into the slots in the long por tions (B,) of the hinges.

The front portion G, of the top of the piano, is hinged to the main portion A, of the same, in the usual manner; and the front portion F, of the casing, is also hinged to iront portion Gr, of the top, in the usual manner.

rlhe long bars B, B,-forming portions of the hinges above described-will retain the top in its proper position when it is resting upon the instrument: the rear edge of the main portion (A) of the top, may be secured to the instrument by a lock or hasp, of suitable construction, should it be desired: the front edge of A, can be so secured that it cannot be raised, from the instrument when it is closed, by turning the set screws e, e, inward a sui'licient dist-ance to cause the threads upon the same to press against the sides of the slots in the hinge bars B, 13,-- or screw apertures may be formed at the upper extremities of the slots in the hinge bars to receive the threads of the set screws, if preferred. By turning the set screws c, e, so that only the blank portions oi their shanks will pass into the slots in the hinge bars B, B, the hinge bars will slide freely f`p and down in their bearingswhen it is desired to elevate the front edge of the main portion (EL) of the top oi" the piano.

The knuckle ljoints of the hinges by which the main portion (A,) of the top, is connected to the piano, it will be perceived, allow either its frontor rear edge to be raised from the instrument, as circumstances may render expedient. When the back of the instrument stands against the wall of a room, the front edge of the top (en) of the instrument can be elevated as usual, and retained at any desired heightgand when the front of the instrument faces the wall, the rear edge of the top (A,) can be elevated to such a height as to permit a tree escape of the sound, without obscuring the performer.

The front edge of the top (En) ot the piano, is retained in an elevated position by means of notches on the rear edges of the hinge bars B, B, taking into notches formed at the rear extremities of the apertures in the metallic supports C, C, as represented in Fig. l, or by the act-ion of the setI screws e, e, or by hinged arms, in the usual manner ot retaining a piano top in an elevated position.

The rear edge of the piano top (Ag) is retained in an elevated position by means ot the hinged arm H, as represented in Fig. 2. Experience has demonstrated that the elevation of the rear edge of the top of a piano, permits as i'ull a volume of sound to flow therefrom into the room, as when the top of the instrument is removed: consequently, the trouble of removing the top from one of my improved pianos, when used in a concert room, will be entirely avoided. To give the tuner access to the strings of my reversed top piano, the top may be removed, by rst withdrawing the set-screws e, e, from the supports C, C; or the top may be elevated in a horizontal position, and sustained upon f in the same manner as before set forth, When the hinges are secured to the front edge of the top: By this manner of connecting the top to the piano, the same effects can be produced as when the hinges are secured to the frontedge of the top.

That I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The connecting the main portion (A,) of

the top of a piano to the body or case of the instrument in such a manner that either its front or rear edge can be elevated at pleasure, to allow a free escape of sound, and enable the performer at the same time to see and be seen: to Wit, by means of the metallic hinge bars B, B, combined with the said main portion of the top of the piano, and inserted into guiding metallic supports and steadying grooves or apertures at each eX- tremity of the instrument, substantially in the manner herein set forth, not intending however, to limit myself to the precise mechanical construction and arrangement of parts as herein represented and described, but to vary the same as I may deem expedient While I attain the same end by means substantially the same.

CONRAD MEYER.

lVitnesses THOMAS D. SMITH, M. A. MEYER. 

